An Educational 2016

As has been my custom for a number of years now, here is my annual end-of-year post. Enjoy!

Wow, I haven’t posted much here this year! 2015 has been an interesting year, and I have a hunch that 2016 is going to be even more interesting. As for the goals I set for 2015, I’d give myself a passing grade, although I definitely didn’t do as well on some as I did on others.

Test for 2nd Kyu in Aikido: This was one of my real wins this year. I felt really good after I finished, and all three of the instructors on the testing panel were apparently quite pleased with my performance. It really meant a lot, in particular because one of my favourite teachers (not to mention, a real inspiration) was one of those instructors.

Grow more food: Not so much. The garlic didn’t go as well as I’d hoped (I think it was planted too shallow), and I didn’t get things going early this year. Considering the weather this summer, I probably didn’t miss all that much.

Blogging/vlogging more regularly: Not a lot was posted here; I did post a bit more on my Tumblr, at least when I was making Bento boxes more regularly.

Making all-grain beer more often: Managed to put on two batches in 2015; a Mosaic SMaSH (which was awesome), and an Imperial Brown Pumpkin Ale (which was ok).

Sooo….now the tough part. Goals for 2016!

Mark 50 books as “read” on GoodReads: I’ve been trying to do more general reading, and Goodreads has been a handy way to keep track. I had set this goal for 2015 in the Goodreads app, but didn’t come close to hitting the mark. For 2016, I’m pretty sure I can manage it.

Grow more food: I’ve got a few new supplies that may help me get my seedlings off to a better start than previous years, and a portable greenhouse, so I should be able to manage to make more progress here. Oh, and I’ve got a gift certificate for Richters Herbs, so that should help too.

Brew at least 4 batches of beer, including 2 styles I’ve never brewed: Since my brewing experience is pretty limited, the style thing shouldn’t be too tough. Even the number of batches should be manageable, since I can put off a batch in 4-6 hours. I’ve got a batch already planned for January 1, which I’m calling Brew Year’s Day.

Finish preparing for the CISSP exam: Over the last few months, I’ve started studying for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional exam, and while I suspect I won’t be able to take the exam itself in 2016, I’d like to close out the year feeling ready to take it in 2017.

This year, I’m not setting a goal of testing for 1st Kyu in Aikido. I might do the test, if our chief instructor suggests it, but at this point I’m not sure that I could be ready for it in time. The list of potential techniques they may ask to see is extensive, and while some are ones I know, others are less familiar.